Method of and apparatus for removing tobacco from cigarettes



March 27, 1962 B. PERRIN 3,026,880

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING TOBACCO FROM CIGARETTES Filed Nov. 19, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

INVENTOR Qendnnn Temx BY was, (30%., GMQnd 'f U/Jsm ATTORNEYS March 27, 1962 B. PERRIN 3,026,880

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING TOBACCO FROM CIGARETTES Filed Nov. 19, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 1962 B; PERRIN 3,026,880

' METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING TOBACCO FROM CIGARETTES Filed Nov. 19, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 wvewm:

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METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING TOBACCO FROM CIGARETTES Filed Nov. 19, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig .5. V f y A -33 jF i 44 United States 3,026,880 I METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING TOBACCO FROM CIGARETTES Bernard Perr'iu, Lausanne, Switzerland, assignor to Molins Machine Company Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Nov. 19, 1958, Ser. No. 744,891 Claims priority, application Switzerland Nov. 26, 1957 21 Claims. (Cl. 131'-96) This invention concerns improvements in or relating to methods of and means for removing tobacco from the wrappers of cigarettes.

Inthe manufacture of cigarettes, it frequently happens that some of the cigarettes produced are for some reason considered unsuitable for sale, and are therefore rejected, and it is necessary to recover the tobacco contained in those cigarettes in order that it can'be used again. This is sometimesdon'e by opening up the cigarettes wrappers, for example by slitting them lengthwise. There is, however, a risk that fragments of cigarette-paper may become mixed with the recovered tobacco, and where the cigarettes have at their ends mouthpiece portions which abut the tobacco portions (e.g. filter tips or plugs) there is the further risk that fragments of the material of which the mouth'piec portions are made may become mixed with the tobacco.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of removing tobacco from the wrapper of a cigarette, which comprises the step of directing air under pressure against tobacco within the said wrapper so as to expel'tobacco from the wrapper. The method may comprise the step of introducing an under pressure into the interior of the said wrapper by passing the said air through an'open'ing in the side of the wrapper. Air may be introduced into the interior of the said wrapper by means of a hollow needle which is projected through the wrapper;

Further according to the invention there is provided a method of removing tobacco from the wrapper of a' cigarette which has a mouthpiece portion at one end and a tobacco portion abutting the mouthpiece portion, comprising the step' of directihg air under pressure against the tobacco which abuts the mouthpiece portion, so as to blow the tobacco away from the mouthpiece portion and expel it from the wrapper; The said air may be introduced through an opening in the side of the wrapper in the region where the tobacco abuts the mouthpiece portion, for example by means of a hollow needle which is projected through the wrapper in the said region.

Further according to the present invention there is provided apparatus for removing tobacco from the wrappers of cigarettes, comprising a movable conveyor having'cha'mbers each adapted to contain a cigarette, means to direct air under pressure against tobacco within the wrapper of each cigarette in'turn so as to urge the tobacco lengthwise of the wrapper, and means to restrain each said wrapper" against lengthwise movement with the tobacco. The apparatus may comprise a movable member provided with air ducts and arranged to move so as to bring said air ducts successively int o register with openings in successive chambers in said conveyor, and means to pass air under pressure through said ducts when the latter are in register with said members so as to be directed against tobacco in successive cigarettes. The said ducts may comprise hollow needles arranged to be projected in succession into successive chambers so as to direct air against tobacco in cigarettes contained in the said chambers The s'aidne'edles may be arranged to be projected into said chambers in a direction transverse to" the" axes of the cigarettesin said chambers. The needles may be arranged to be projected into-said chambers at ice positions such that they project through the sides of the wrappers of the cigarettes and thereby restrain the wrappers against lengthwise movement.

The apparatus may be adapted for use with cigarettes each having a mouthpiece portion at one end and a tobacco portion abutting the mouthpiece portion, the needles in that case being arranged to project into the said chambers at positions such that each said needle projects through the side of the wrapper of a cigarette in the region where the tobacco abuts the mouthpiece portion.

The said conveyor and the said movable member may be rotatable about substantially parallel axes.

The said conveyor may be a hollow cylinder and the said chambers may be peripheral grooves on said cylinder extending lengthwise of the axis of rotation of the cylinder, the said movable member being arranged for rotation within said cylinder, the said needles being arranged to project outwardly of said member towards the said cylinder, the cylinder being provided with apertures communicating with said grooves and with the interior of the cylinder and so arranged that the needles canproject through said apertures into said grooves.

The said rotatable member may be mounted for r0tation about an axis eccentric to the axis of said cylinder, whereby on rotation of the said member and cylinder, needles are carried towards said apertures and projected through them, and then withdrawn and carried away from said apertures.

The apparatus may comprise a stationary element, past which the said grooves are moved so as to confine cigarettes laterally in the grooves when needles are projected into said grooves.

The said chambers may be open at both ends, the apparatus comprising a stationary plate past whichthe chambers are moved in order to' close one end of a chamber when air is being directed against tobacco in a cigarette contained in that chamber.

The said conveyor may be a rotatable cylinder, the said chambers for cigarettes being peripheral grooves extending lengthwise of the axis of rotation of said cylinder, the said movable member being arranged externally of said cylinder and the said needles projecting outwardly of said member, the said cylinder and said member being arranged for rotation tangentially to one another in opposite directions so that the said needles are successively brought into register with successive grooves in said cylinder. The said rotatable member may have a cylindrical peripheral surface having grooves therein which correspond to and are arranged to register with the grooves in said cylinder and in which the said needles are located, the two sets of grooves being so arranged that a cigarette is substantially laterally confined when two grooves are in register. The said grooves may be closed at one end by circular plates or rings fixed to the cylinder and to the rotatable member respectively. The said needles may be bevelled at their ends, and may be so disposed that the bevel at the end of a needle is directed towards the tobacco in a cigarette in the chamber.

Apparatus in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the "accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional side elevation;

FIGURE 2 is a plan taken on the line V-V, FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view of part of FIG- URE 2, to an enlarged scale; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view corresponding to a part'of FIGURE 2 but illustrating amodification;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but illustrating a further modification, and

FIGURE 6 illustrates a still further modification.

A; cylinder 30 whose peripheral surface is provided with parallel flutes or grooves 31, is supported for rotation on a shaft 32. Each of the grooves 31 has an aperture 33 near one end, and two smaller apertures 34 spaced apart along its length. Above the upper surface of the cylinder is a cigarette hopper 35 from which cigarettes are fed down into the grooves 31, a rotatable roller 36 being disposed adjacent the grooves to regulate the feed of cigarettes.

Inside the cylinder adjacent the outlet of the hopper is a suction chamber 37 communicating by a duct 38 with a suction fan (not shown) or other suitable source of suction. This suction chamber is so arranged that as the cylinder rotates, the suction is put into communication with successive grooves 31 by the apertures 33 and 34, so that cigarettes fed down from the hopper are suctionally urged into the grooves.

A similar chamber 39 having a duct 40 is provided at the lowermost part of the interior of the cylinder, the duct 40 being in communication with a source of air under pressure so that air is blown outwardly through the apertures 33 and 34 of successive grooves as they pass the blowing chamber 39.

A relatively small rotatable member in the form of a drum 41 is mounted for rotation within the cylinder 30 about a shaft 42. The drum 41 is arranged eccentrically of the cylinder 30, and is provided with a number of air ducts 43 each communicating with a hollow needle 44 projecting radially outwardly of the periphery of the drum. The disposition of the drum within the cylinder is such that as the drum and cylinder rotate in the same direction at suitable speeds, successive needles 44 approach and project through successive apertures 33 and then withdraw as rotation continues.

The ducts 43 pass in succession over a chamber 45 formed in a stationary ring-like member 46 and communicating with a hole 47 extending through the member 46. The front part of the member 46 is accommodated in a recess 47 in a fixed cover member 48, which has a hub 49 projecting through the center of the ringlike member 46 and to which the latter is connected by a key 50 so as to prevent rotation of the member 46 while permitting it to move axially relatively to the member 48. A compression spring 51 urges the member 46 against the end face of the drum 41. A hole 52 in the cover member 48 is threaded to receive a pipe 53 which is connected to a suitable source of air under pressure, such as a compressed air container (not shown). A packing ring 54 prevents linkage of air from between the members 46 and 48.

The drum 41 is driven by a gear 55 fixed to a plate 56 which is secured to the drum. The gear 55 is rotated through an idler 57 by a gear 58 mounted on the shaft 32, which is supported in a bracket 59. The cylinder 30, and hence the shaft 32, is driven by a gear 60 engaging a large gear 61 fixed to the cylinder (see FiGURE 1). The gear 60 is rotated by a pulley 62 which is driven by a belt drive from a motor (not shown).

The gear 61 also drives a small gear 63, FIGURE 1, fixed to a large gear 64, which in turn drives a gear 65 fixed to the roller'36.

A stationary concave plate 66 is located close to the grooves 31 adjacent the fixed chamber 45 to close the grooves laterally as they move past the plate.

A discharge chute 67 for tobacco is located alongside the cylinder 30 at a suitable position to receive tobacco from the grooves 31. The ends of the grooves 31 remote from the discharge chute 67 are closed by passing over a fixed plate 68.

The apparatus just described operates as follows. Cigarettes are fed down from the hopper 35 into the grooves 31 of the rotating cylinder 30, and the suction chamber 37 acting through the apertures 33 and 34 to draw them into the grooves, and the roller 36 acting to regulate their feed and also to maintain them parallel.

As a cigarette carried in a groove 31 is carried downwardly it is moved across the concave plate 66 which confines it laterally within the chamber formed by the groove. At the same time a needle 44 is caused by the rotating drum 41 to move towards and through the aperture 33 of the groove and thus to penetrate the paper wrapper of the cigarette. Since the apparatus being de scribed is intended for use with mouthpiece cigarettes, the needles 44 and apertures 33 are so disposed that a needle enters a cigarette at the position Where the mouthpiece portion abuts the tobacco, as shown in FIGURE 3, where the reference T indicates the tobacco portion of a cigarette and the reference M indicates a mouthpiece portion which in this case is a filter.

Continued rotation of the drum 41 with the cylinder 30 brings the air duct 43, communicating with the needle which has penetrated a cigarette, over the stationary chamber 45, thus momentarily admitting air under pressure into the needle. This air is discharged through the needle against the tobacco in the cigarette. The groove 31 at that time is passing over the fixed plate 68 which closes the end of the groove at which the mouthpiece portion M is located, and thereby prevents escape of air through the mouthpiece portion. The air therefore exerts pressure against the tobacco and blows it lengthwise out of the paper wrapper. The tobacco thus expelled from the wrapper falls into the discharge chute 67 and is collected in a suitable receptacle. The cigarette wrapper and mouthpiece portion are restrained against endwise movement by the needle. The needles are bevelled as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the bevelled face being directed against the tobacco portion of the cigarette so as to guide the air in the desired direction.

Further rotation of the drum 41 and cylinder 30 causes the needle to be withdrawn from the cigarette wrapper and from the groove 31 and the wrapper is thus free to fall from the groove when the latter has moved past the concave plate 66. The blowing chamber 39 discharges air against the empty wrapper through the apertures 33 and 34, thereby ensuring that the wrapper falls away from the cylinder into a chute 69.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a modified construction designed for dealing with plain cigarettes, that is cigarettes which are filled with tobacco throughout their length. In this construction each groove 31 is provided with an air aperture 133 which corresponds to the aperture 33 shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, but is arranged at the extreme end of the groove. The needles 44 are correspondingly arranged on the drum 41 so that each needle will enter a cigarette at its ends, that is to say, at that end at which the groove is closed by the fixed plate 68. Air is thus discharged against tobacco at one end face of a cigarette. In order to prevent endwise movement of the cigarette wrapper with the tobacco, each groove 31 is provided, at the end remote from the aperture 133, with a small shoulder 70, which engages the edge of the cigarette wrapper.

In further modifications illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6, the aperture 33 for a needle is located midway along the length of a groove so that the needle will enter a plain cigarette midway along its length. In that case the plate 68 is dispensed with, and is replaced by a further chute corresponding to the chute 67. Thus air is discharged through the needle into the middle of the cigarette and expels the tobacco in opposite directions. Each groove 31 is, in this construction, provided with shoulders 70 at both end to hold the paper wrapper against endwise movement. The needle may be provided with a double bevel, or two side by side needles may be provided, as in FIGURE 6, which are bevelled so as to direct air in opposite directions against the tobacco.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A method of removing tobacco from the tubular, open-ended wrapper of a cigarette, which comprises the step of directing air under pressure against tobacco within the said wrapper while holding the wrapper against lengthwise movement, the air being directed in sufficient quantity, and under sulficient pressure, toward an open end of the wrapper to expel substantially the whole of the tobacco from the wrapper through the said open end.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, which comprises the step of introducing air under pressure into the in terior of the said tubular Wrapper by passing the said air into the interior of the wrapper through an opening in the side of the wrapper.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 which comprises the step of inserting the end of a hollow needle into the end of the said wrapper and introducing air under pressure through the hollow needle into the interior of the said wrapper, the said air being directed against tobacco in a direction toward the opposite end of the wrapper to that at which the needle is introduced.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein air is introduced into the interior of the said wrapper by means of a hollow needle which is projected through the wrapper, the said needle acting to hold the wrapper against lengthwise movement.

5. A method of removing tobacco from the tubular wrapper of a cigarette which has a mouthpiece portion at one end and a tobacco portion abutting the mouthpiece portion, comprising the step of directing air under pressure against the tobacco at the position where the tobacco abuts the mouthpiece portion, while holding the wrapper and mouthpiece portion against lengthwise movement, the air being directed in sufiicient quantity and under suflicient pressure to blow substantially the whole of the tobacco away from the mouthpiece portion and expel it from the wrapper.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the said air is introduced through an opening in the side of the wrapper.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the said air is introduced through said opening by means of a hollow needle which is projected through the wrapper.

8. Apparatus for removing tobacco from the wrappers of cigarettes, comprising a movable conveyor having chambers each open at one end and each adapted to contain a cigarette, means to direct air, in a direction toward each said open end, against tobacco within the wrapper of each cigarette in turn, in sufficient quantity and under sufiicient pressure to urge substantially the whole of the tobacco lengthwise of and bodily out of the wrapper, and means to restrain each said wrapper against lengthwise movement with the tobacco.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the said chambers are open at both ends, and comprising a stationary plate past which the chambers are moved in order to close one end of a chamber when air is being directed against tobacco in a cigarette contained in that chamber.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, comprising a movable member provided with air ducts and arranged to move so as to bring said air ducts successively into register with openings in successive chambers in said conveyor, and means to pass air under pressure through said ducts when the latter are in register with said chambers so as to be directed against tobacco in successive cigarettes.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the said ducts comprise hollow needles arranged to be projected in succession into the said successive chambers so as to direct air against tobacco in cigarettes contained in the said chambers.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the ends of the hollow needles are arranged to be introduced into the ends of the wrappers of the cigarettes contained in the chambers.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the said needles are mounted on said movable member transversely of the axes of cigarettes in said chambers and are arranged to be projected into said chambers in a direction transverse to the axes of the cigarettes in said chambers.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the said needles are so located on said movable member that they are arranged to be projected into said chambers at positions located between opposite ends of the chambers such that the needles project through the sides of the wrappers of the cigarettes and thereby restrain the wrappers against lengthwise movement.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 and adapted for use with cigarettes each having a mouthpiece portion at one end and a tobacco portion abutting the mouthpiece portion, wherein the said needles are located on said movable member for entry into each of the said chambers at a position corresponding to the junction of tobacco and mouthpiece portion of a cigarette in a chamber, whereby said needle projects through the side of the wrapper of the said cigarette in the region where the tobacco abuts the mouthpiece portion.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the said conveyor and the said movable member are rotatable about substantially parallel axes.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the said conveyor is a hollow cylinder and the said chambers are peripheral grooves on said cylinder extending lengthwise of the axis of rotation of the cylinder, and wherein the said movable member is arranged for rotation within said cylinder, and needles forming said air ducts and being arranged to project outwardly of said member towards the said cylinder, the cylinder being provided with apertures communicating with said grooves and with the interior of the cylinder and so arranged that the needles can project through said apertures into said grooves.

18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the said rotatable member is mounted for rotation about an axis eccentric to the axis of said cylinder, whereby on rotation of the said member and cylinder, said needles are carried towards said apertures and projected through them, and then withdrawn and carried away from said apertures.

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, comprising a stationary element, past which the said grooves are moved so as to confine cigarettes laterally in the grooves when said needles are projected into said grooves.

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the said needles are bevelled at their ends.

21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the needles are so disposed that the bevel at the end of a needle projected into a chamber is directed towards the tobacco in a cigarette in the chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 231,780 Emery Aug. 31, 1880 745,846 Holmes Dec. 1, 1903 1,784,296 Lorentz Dec. 9, 1930 1,948,626 Patterson Feb. 29, 1934 2,104,292 Caraballo Jan. 4, 1938 2,301,855 Cliffe Nov. 10, 1942 

